The folk-punk and Green Day support act Frank Turner talks about Eton anarchy, national pride and his bold new album

F
or a man who grew up in a Winchester manor house containing no music from the
20th century, it’s odd that Frank Turner credits Iron Maiden for providing
his first real cultural jolt. The 29-year-old can still recall pestering his
banker father to buy him a copy of their 1981 album Killers, kick-starting a
lifelong obsession with rock’n’roll that has helped him slowly to establish
himself as one of Britain’s most articulate folk-punk singers.

Whether he’s playing Wembley stadium, as an opener for Green Day, or a house
party of intoxicated revellers (he has done both, and everything in
between), Turner has been committed to the art of live performance since he
was young. His early interest in punk led him to form his first serious
band, Kneejerk, who were booed off during a performance at a school assembly
in his time at Eton.